Deliciously Dairy Free

The author of this cookbook became involved in dairy-free cooking when her mum was diagnosed with colitis and needed to change her diet. This book puts forward a more lighter... cleaner way of eating which combines great ingredients with a simple dairy free approach. This cookbook is great for those who have a lactose intolerance and those who want to minimize dairy or ditch dairy all together. There are plenty of inspiring recipes for any occasion. Mexican Corn Cakes with Avocado Crush, Spiced Sweet Potato Chowder, Creamy Lemon Potatoes with Herby Salmon, Fiery Fish Pie, Spaghetti Carbonara, Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Mornay with Chorizo Crumb, and Plummy Chocolate Mousse with Pistachios... to just name a few of the tempting recipes. 

Deliciously Dairy Free is a smorgasbord that allows you to have fun and flavourable outcomes with dairy free cooking and baking to ensure you are not missing out. The recipes are arranged within 7 chapters: Breakfast & Brunch, Big Salads & Super Soups, Weekday Favourites, Weekend Delights, The Clean Bake, Desserts, and Basics; and at the front of the cookbook is a helpful 2 page Recipe Finder that breaks down each chapter's recipes into a quick glance chart of: Contains no eggs, Contains no nuts, Gluten/Wheat free, Vegetarian, and Vegan. Beautiful mouthwatering photographs and recipes most often are on one page, which I consider a plus. 

I decided to share, what I would say would be the most "milk/dairy laden recipe" transformed... Macaroni and cheese. As you know, macaroni and cheese or Mac'n'Cheese is  notoriously known for it's creamy gooey cheesy comfort goodness that is why I was quite interested with such a dairy-free option.


Double Baked Mac & Cheese with Roasted Vine Tomatoes
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1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon  Dijon mustard
3 3/4 cups soy milk
1 1/2 cups finely grated dairy-free sharp cheddar cheese
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
10 oz dried macaroni, cooked according to the package instructions
3 tablespoons dairy-free fresh white bread crumbs
13 oz baby vine tomatoes, kept on the vine
chili or olive oil, for drizzling (optional)
6 rindless smoked bacon slices
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400ºF

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan, add the flour and mustard and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and add all the soy milk. Beat well until all the lumps have gone, then return to heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for 4 - 5 minutes, until thickish and smooth.

Add three-quarters of the dairy-free cheese, remove from the heat and stir until melted. Season to taste with nutmeg and salt and pepper.

Stir the cooked macaroni into the sauce and transfer to a large or 2 medium-sized, shallow ovenproof dishes. Mix together the remaining cheese and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the dish. 

Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden and bubbling hot and a good crust has formed.

Remove the mac and cheese from the oven, lay the tomato vine over the top and drizzle with chili or olive oil, if using, then return to the oven for another 8 - 10 minutes.

Meanwhile broil or fry the bacon until crisp.

Crumble the bacon over the mac and cheese and serve at once.


Hope everyone is having a good week. - JD 

Blood and Sand

If you enjoy a Long Island Ice Tea than you will enjoy this martini. Smooth, light and brisk. 


Blood and Sand
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1 oz Scotch
1 oz sweet Vermouth
1 oz cherry liqueur
1 oz fresh orange juice


Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add Scotch, vermouth, cherry liqueur and orange juice. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass. You may garnish with an orange wheel if you wish. 



Stay warm and have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Sautéed Brussel Sprouts

This is becoming my favourite side dish... sautéed brussel sprouts. The pomegranate seeds  over top of the green give this dish a festive feel. 

Steam brussel sprouts until just tender. Allow to cool slightly. Slice each one in half. Over medium high heat in a large frypan; warm a tablespoon or two of oil, I used rice bran oil, place the cut brussel sprouts into the frypan's warm oil. Sauté until slightly golden. Then add a tablespoon of blood orange balsamic vinegar, adjust the amount of flavoured vinegar to your taste. Stir to coat evenly and allow the vinegar to be reduced. Place the sautéd brussel sprouts into a serving dish. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over top and serve. Delicious simplicity at it's best! And all will be merry and bright with this as a holiday side dish. 

Yesterday was terribly cold, so trying to stay as warm as possible! - JD 

Leftovers #41 ~ Bean Couscous Salad

Having leftover couscous is great because you have the start of making an interesting dish. Take the leftover couscous and place into a large serving bowl, add chopped red and orange peppers, diced red onion and 1 can of mixed beans, that have been drained. Toss. Then make a a simple raspberry vinaigrette dressing and drizzle over the couscous salad. Toss to coat. Cover and allow to mellow in the refrigerator for a few hours. When ready to eat. Remove from refrigerator, give the couscous salad a nice toss and scatter fresh pomegranate seeds on top. Serve. The perfect side to meat or tofu. Keeping it simple!  

Opening

This was an interesting cocktail. Fruity and smoky with just a hint of sweetness. 

Opening

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makes 2 cocktails

2 oz Whiskey

1 oz Sweet Vermouth

1/2 oz Grenadine

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have posted a chocolate chip cookie recipe before using chickpea flour however this recipe is slightly different than that one. This recipe uses chickpeas and the cookies are more soft and chewy in texture. With the help of a blender you will have these delicious cookies whipped up in no time.   

Chocolate Chip Cookie 

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1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup oat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk or soy milk

1 cup mini chocolate chips or 1/2 cup regular chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking tray with baking parchment paper and set aside.

Place the drained chickpeas, peanut butter, oat flour, baking powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and milk into a blender and blend until a smooth dough has formed.  

Place the dough into a medium bowl and stir in the chocolate chips. Once the chocolate chips have been mix into the dough. Use a dessert spoon to drop the dough on to the prepared baking tray. Use a knife to help lift the dough off the spoon as it may be quite sticky and tacky. Gently press down with the back of the spoon, or another spoon if you wish but why create more dishes to wash. Repeat until all the dough has been used. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until nicely browned on the bottom. Remove the tray from the oven and gently press the tops of the cookies down with the underside of a lifter/spatula or fork. Let rest on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire racks to continue cooling. Repeat until all the dough has been used. 

Notes: I made about 22 cookies.

Hope everyone had a good weekend! - JD   

Bull Dog

A citrusy, sweet and sour mix which is believed that Sir Winston Churchill is the inspiration for this cocktail.

Bulldog

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makes 1 cocktail

1 oz gin

1 oz cherry liqueur

1 oz lime juice

Shake gin, cherry liqueur and lime juice into a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. You may garnish with a lime wedge, if you wish. 

Have a fabulous weekend everyone! - JD 

Tofu Vegetable Curry

Here is a delicious weekday meal that is quick and easy. You can simply interchange with fresh vegetables however frozen vegetables saves one just a bit of time. 

Tofu Vegetable Curry 

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1 to 2 packages of firm tofu, cut into cubes*

1 can coconut milk 

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 package (500g) frozen mixed vegetables

 freshly grated lime zest

Grate the rind of 1 lime into a small bowl. Set aside. 

In a large bowl combine the coconut milk, lime juice, curry powder and sesame oil. Stir. Set aside.

In a large nonstick frypan or wok, heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil over medium heat. Add the cubes tofu, turning the cubes often, cook for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown all over.

Turn the heat up to high and add the frozen mixed stir-fry vegetables, stir and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through. Add the coconut milk mixture and allow to simmer to a boil. Once boiled, turn the heat down to medium and continue to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the grated lime zest, stir, and serve over brown rice. 

*To remove the excess moisture from the tofu, press tofu between kitchen towels/paper towels or clean pieces of cloth. 

Notes: you can stir a handful of cashews before serving.   

Stay warm! - JD 

Bonfire Night

Our Bonfire feast was a slow cooker seasoned steak, an oven roasted jacket potato and steamed brussel sprouts that were sautéd with a touch of fig balsamic vinegar. We did make a Bonfire cocktail to sip afterwards... 

A cousin of the Nergoni cocktail... the Bonfire Boulevardier. This is a rich and smooth, smoky cocktail; which colour is striking and reminiscent of fiery embers. A very good sipping cocktail on a chilly night. 

Bonfire Boulevardier

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makes 1 cocktail

1 oz whisky

1 oz Campari

1 oz Sweet Vermouth

Add all the ingredients into a cocktail mixing glass, add ice and stir. Once the desired dilution is reached, strain into a cocktail glass with ice and add a twist of orange, if you wish. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend. - JD

Nightmare

With all it's subtleness this cocktail has a sweet cherry flavour with just a bit of a kick. Compelling yet reflective.  


Nightmare
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makes 1 cocktail 

1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz cherry brandy
1 oz orange juice

In a shaker filled with a cup of ice, pour the gin, dry vermouth, cherry brandy and orange juice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.


Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Coconut ~ more than 60 recipes

It has been awhile since I posted about a cookbook. After picking up this book for a bargain, $2.00 and the first signs of winter, a scattering of snow over the past two days, have made an appearance I thought this should convey some comfort. The word coconut and the sight of coconut, as with most people, conjures a tropical feel however it can have a wintery one too, as it can mimic freshly fallen snow.  

There is no introduction in this cookbook; may be because it pertains to the use of one familiar ingredient in each recipe. Therefore it seems straight forward. This cookbook does offer a quick multitude of recipes through out it's chapters. Starting at breakfasts and ending with desserts. There are a few good recipes although the recipes involving cakes always seem to use a ready made cake mix, rather than creating from scratch, within it's recipe. That is my only issue with this cookbook. Regardless, it is a minor bump in a near reasonably full cookbook. There are quite a few sweet coconut recipes and almost an equal amount of savoury coconut recipes too. 

Most of the recipes are easy and quick. I will spare sharing any recipes using pumpkin and will share this comforting recipe for a stew. 

Chickpea and Orange Squash Stew

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1 teaspoon coconut oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 to 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 cup cubed peeled butternut squash or sweet potato 

1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Spinach leaves, optional 

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, jalapeño pepper, ginger and garlic; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add cumin and coriander; cook and stir 1 minute.

2. Add squash, chickpeas, water and soy sauce to saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until squash is tender. Add coconut milk; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Garnish with spinach.